'Yolanda': A test of Mar Roxas' competency as a leader/public servant

It was raining hard, the wind was blowing to the east and west, the night was dark, little floods in the streets were already forming, when local and national officials conducted a DRR meeting at the function hall of the Police Regional Office 8 on November 7, 2013.

We, from the media, headed to the same location to cover the event. Our mobile patrol was then shaking because of the strong winds that were blowing. The rain entered the vehicle that made us all wet.

We arrived at the meeting around 7:00 in the evening. The meeting has started and I saw the Mayor of Tacloban, Governor of Leyte, the heads of the AFP, PNP, BFP,  DND Sec. Gazmin and DILG Roxas.

At that meeting, the representative coming from PAGASA (Regional Office) was not present. Mar Roxas called the representative twice, but there was none. The meeting proceeded without any weather update from the authority.

That was the last time that I saw Roxas here in Tacloban City. He even ordered for a final meeting on November 8 at 8:00 am not knowing that the storm will hit earlier than experts have expected or calculated.

That meeting never happened because the storm entered early in the morning. I learned that Roxas and Gazmin were billeted at Leyte Park Hotel where one of his security officers died. There was an information that DND Secretary was flown out immediately outside Tacloban because he has no sufficient medicines for his illness.

Many had seen Roxas walking in the streets of Tacloban together with his men. One of them was my uncle. He saw Roxas when he was heading home to check his house. Knowing that he is the famous DILG Secretary, he asked him where the plans that they plotted before the disaster are. The man gave a smile, ignored him and walks forward.

He and his men flew outside Tacloban. It took weeks before Roxas appeared on televisions. I was then in Cavite when I noticed it. When I get back to Tacloban, I heard that the people are talking about Roxas on what he has told Mayor Alfred.

“Remember that you are a Romualdez and the President is an Aquino”. This was when Mayor Alfred begged for help for his people. The statement was so insensitive and it was no surprise that it came from a hardcore politician. “Waray” people are known to be furious when they get mad to something. 

That time people were still clinging to the last ray of hope they have in bringing their lives back to normalcy. The environment was still abnormal and people were hungry for government service yet they heard that insensitive statement from one of the powerful leaders in the country?

I have observed that even people living outside Tacloban reacted on this scenario. Even they are not part of the 1^st district of Leyte where Romualdezes were visible working their part in serving the people, they got mad at Roxas. It’s his character he showed during the response and the rehabilitation of Yolanda affected areas.

If he is a true and real serviceman, he would not say that just to impress his President. If he has a heart for the victims that are his people, he should show more care by being a responsible public servant. Since he is the DILG Secretary, he will instruct all the agencies involved in the response and rehabilitation to expedite the process to get our lives back into normalcy. But he did not.

Instead of doing something to prove that he can be a good President by showing his abilities in resolving the issues on Yolanda rehabilitation, he committed himself into politicking. He has been very excited for the post to the point that he has spread his political advertisement as early as last month. When people heard it, they say “sus wala ka ngang nagawa matapos ang Yolanda, ang malala dinamay mo pa kami sa pulitika nyo.”

People were not blind, mute and deaf to not realize on what he has done to us. If he has set aside the politics and from the bottom of his heart he has served the people, then maybe people would say that he can be a good leader in the future.

But HE DID NOT! Politics and impression of his President were his main priority. But that should not be the case. It is the welfare of the people that a public servant should think about. What happened to Yolanda was a test of Roxas’ leadership. He has been so irresponsible not only on his words that hurt the people but on his acts as a public servant.

Last week, he was introduced as the standard-bearer of the Liberal Party. That’s never a surprise for us Waraynons. The endorsement was a “kumunoy”. We laughed because we have experienced the quality of service he had during our hard times. If only all Filipinos know what kind of leader he is.   The test of real leadership was when people are in the darkest times of their lives like the disaster we have experienced last 2013.

There were only few public servants who never left us. Personally, I saw Mayor Alfred Romualdez and 1^st District Congressman Martin Romualdez who proved that during the darkest time of our lives, they were there to serve. All Taclobanons and Leytenos knew and can prove that.

In the upcoming election, Mar Roxas do not deserve my vote and he will never be my PRESIDENT because of his innate incompetence!!!